Kalanchoe plant named ‘Red Wood’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Kalanchoe  plant named ‘Red Wood’, characterized by its bright red-colored flowers; upright and uniform plant habit; freely branching growth habit; early and freely flowering habit; and excellent postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Red Wood’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofKalanchoe plant, botanically known as Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Red Wood’.

The new Kalanchoe is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Aalsmeer and Middelburg, The Netherlands. Theobjective of the breeding program was to create new compact andfreely-branching Kalanchoe cultivars with attractive foliage and flowercoloration.

The new Kalanchoe originated from a cross made by the Inventor inOctober, 2000 in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection ofKalanchoe blossfeldiana identified as code number 98102-3, not patented,as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Kalanchoeblossfeldiana identified as code number 97105, not patented, as themale, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Red Wood was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross in a controlled environment in Middelburg, The Netherlandsin August, 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new Kalanchoe by terminal vegetativecuttings taken at Aalsmeer, The Netherlands, since August, 2001 hasshown that the unique features of this new Kalanchoe are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Red Wood has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Red Wood’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Red Wood’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Bright red-colored flowers.    -   2. Upright and uniform plant habit.    -   3. Freely branching growth habit.    -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   5. Excellent postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Kalanchoe can be compared to plants of the parentselections. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in DeKwakel, The Netherlands, plants of the new Kalanchoe were larger thanthe female parent selection and had larger flowers than the male parentselection.

Plants of the new Kalanchoe can also be compared to plants of theKalanchoe cultivar Debbie, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,428. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in De Kwakel, TheNetherlands, plants of the new Kalanchoe differed from plants of thecultivar Debbie in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were larger than plants of the        cultivar Debbie.    -   2. Plants of the new Kalanchoe had larger flowers than plants of        the cultivar Debbie.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Kalanchoe, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Kalanchoe. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of atypical potted plant of ‘Red Wood’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for theaforementioned photograph and for the description were grown during theautumn in De Kwakel, The Netherlands, in a glass-covered greenhouse.During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged20° C. and light levels were about 500 Watt/m². Unrooted cuttings weredirectly stuck in 10.5-cm containers and received long day/short nightconditions (about 15 hours of light) for about four weeks; plants thenreceived photoinductive short day/long night conditions (minimum 15hours darkness) until flowering. Plants were about 15 weeks old from anunrooted cutting when the photograph and the description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana cultivar Red Wood.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female or seed parent.—Proprietary selection of Kalanchoe            blossfeldiana identified as code number 98102-03, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Kalanchoe            blossfeldiana identified as code number 97105, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 10 days at 20° C.            Winter: About 14 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About 21 days            at 20° C. Winter: About 25 days at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form/growth habit.—Upright, uniform and compact plant habit.            Very freely flowering with numerous compound cymes. Inverted            triangle with rounded crown. Vigorous growth habit; rapid            growth rate.        -   Plant height at flowering.—About 15 cm.        -   Plant diameter at flowering.—About 18 cm.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching; typically four lateral            branches develop per plant. Pinching (removal of terminal            apex) is not required but will enhance lateral branch            development.        -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 11 cm. Diameter:            About 4 cm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Aspect: Erect.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to            147A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile.            Length: About 9 cm. Width: About 6 cm. Shape: Elliptic.            Apex: Obtuse. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Crenate; undulate.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Leathery, glabrous and            succulent. Color: Developing and fully expanded leaves,            upper surface: Close to 147A. Developing and fully expanded            leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B. Venation, upper and            lower surfaces: Similar to lamina.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single flowers arranged in compound            dichasial cymes that arise from leaf axils. Freely            flowering; about 40 open flowers per lateral branch and            about 250 open flowers per plant. Flowers persistent.            Flowers not fragrant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Kalanchoe            initiate and develop flowers under short day/long night            conditions or during the late autumn/winter/early spring.            Flower initiation and development can also be induced under            artificial short day/long night conditions (at least 14            hours of darkness).        -   Time to flower.—Under short day/long night photoinductive            conditions, about ten weeks are required. Actual time to            flower is primarily dependent upon temperature and light            intensity.        -   Post-production longevity.—Excellent post-production            longevity; plants maintain good foliage and flower substance            for about five weeks under interior environmental            conditions.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 11 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 16 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 1.2 cm.        -   Flower height.—About 1.3 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Shape: Elongated ovoid. Length: About 1 cm.            Width: About 2 mm. Color: 138D.        -   Petals.—Quantity: Four fused at base. Length: About 9 mm.            Width: About 6 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Cuspidate. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous, smooth.            Color: When opening, upper surface: 42A. When opening, lower            surface: 50B to 50D. Fully opened, upper surface: 43A. Fully            opened, lower surface: 50C.        -   Sepals.—Quantity: Four fused at base. Length: About 6 mm.            Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base:            Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Glabrous, smooth. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 to 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Aspect: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, leathery.            Color: Close to 138C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Eight.            Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color:            Yellow. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Yellow.            Pistils: Quantity per flower: Four. Style length: About            4 mm. Style color: Light green. Stigma shape: Rounded.            Stigma color: Light green. Ovary color: Green.        -   Seed.—Length: About 0.05 mm. Diameter: About 0.025 mm.            Color: Brownish black.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Kalanchoe have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Kalanchoes.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Kalanchoe have been    observed to tolerate low temperatures of 17° C. and high    temperatures of 40° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Kalanchoe plant named ‘Red Wood’, asillustrated and described.